Sport
Quest football presenter COLIN MURRAY picks his highlights of the season
The Championship finale
AS THE CHAMPIONSHIP season comes to an end, Colin Murray will be rounding up all the action this week on Quest’s weekly highlights package, EFL on Quest (Saturday, 9pm). We asked him to look back on the season and choose his biggest talking points…
CANARIES SINGING
‘Norwich City have made an instant return to the top flight following relegation to the Championship in the 2019-20 season and I am so happy to see them go up. They are a shining light – such a well-run family club who kept faith with head coach Daniel Farke. He learnt a lot of lessons from being in the Premier League, and has been more pragmatic this season, with Norwich scoring fewer goals but also conceding less.’
HORNETS ON A HIGH
‘Watford have also gained promotion back to the Premier League after relegation last season. Xisco Muñoz became their fifth manager in just over a year when he was appointed in December, and has changed the whole feel of the club. He’s brought positivity, but has also been ruthless, with players selected on merit not reputation.’
PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
‘Brentford’s Ivan Toney and Norwich City pair Emi Buendía and Teemu Pukki have been shortlisted for the Championship Player of the Season award, and I think Watford’s Ismaïla Sarr was unlucky to miss the list. Buendía would get my vote, but Toney has made plenty of assists alongside all his goals. Of the young players, I’ve loved watching Blackburn Rovers midfielder Harvey Elliott, who’s on loan from Liverpool. He has that touch of magic about him.’
PLAY-OFF PRIZE
‘The play-offs are a crapshoot, but I think Bournemouth will claim the third promotion place – which would mean all the sides relegated from the Premier League make an immediate return. The Cherries are more used to the big occasion than Swansea, Brentford or Barnsley, but it’s been great to see Barnsley confound critics who expected them to struggle. Their coach, Valérien Ismaël, must
be a manager-of-the-year contender. It would be the story of the season if they go up.’
COACH CLASS
‘We’ve seen real pressure on Wayne Rooney as he’s tried to keep Derby County in the Championship – his players just haven’t scored enough goals. Mick Mccarthy has done well at Cardiff, and I’ve loved Gareth Ainsworth’s positive attitude (and leather jacket), even though his relegated Wycombe side had decisions go against them.’